New York (CNN Business) CNN is suspending prime time anchor Chris Cuomo "indefinitely, pending further evaluation," after new documents revealed the cozy and improper nature of his relationship with aides to his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Tuesday's announcement about the suspension was the equivalent of a cable news shockwave. Cuomo's 9 p.m. program is frequently CNN's most-watched hour of the day. He is a larger-than-life presence at the network. And he was determined to stay on TV this year despite a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations against his brother, which culminated in the governor's resignation three months ago.
But new documents released on Monday showed that the veteran journalist was more intimately involved than previously known in shaping his brother's defense.
"The New York Attorney General's office released transcripts & exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense," a CNN spokesperson said. "The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."
"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother's staff, he broke our rules & we acknowledged that publicly," the spokesperson continued. "But we also appreciated the unique position he was in & understood his need to put family first & job second."
"However, these documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother's efforts than we previously knew," the spokesperson added. "As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation."
The documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James included text messages & transcripts of interviews with investigators who led the probe into allegations against the governor.
The cache of documents included text messages between Chris Cuomo & Melissa DeRosa, a then-top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that suggested he was instrumental in working to craft a defense against a flood of sexual misconduct allegations.
The text messages also revealed that Chris Cuomo sought to use his connections in the press to help prepare the then-governor's team as accusers started to make their stories public.
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